Sasikala returns to Bengaluru jail after five-day parole

With the party infighting and splits that has been witnessed in AIADMK, the blame for the downfall of the party has been on Sasikala, considered to be former CM J Jayalalithaa's shadow, and her family.

chennai/12-October-2017 (News release India): AIADMK leader VK Sasikala's five-day parole for visiting her husband in a hospital ended yesterday, now she will have to return to Parappana Agrahara central jail in Bengaluru by today. Sasikala's presence in Chennai was a celebration time for the AIADMK Sasikala faction members. Sasikala left from the residence of Krishna Priya, her close relative in T Nagar in Chennai this morning. From people touching the ground and trying to get as close to the vehicle as possible to greet Sasikala, the AIADMK's Sasikala faction left no stones unturned to show their happiness.

Shashikala has been jailed in the Parappana Agrahara central jail since February this year after the Supreme Court denied to review her conviction by a special court in a disproportionate assets case.

At the end of the five-day parole when she started her journey back to Bangalore's Parapanagrahara prison, the roads were filled with AIADMK party workers who had come to give a send-off to their Chinamma.

Within the first few kilometres from Krishnapriya's residence Sasikala's vehicle was stopped by women supporters who did a huge arti and broke coconuts in front of the auto. "Don't worry you will be the one to always win".

Meanwhile, calm and composed Sasikala sat with her hands folded and greeted her supporters.

During all the five days, the euphoria remained the same.

The sloganeering continued till Sasikala and her convoy crossed the Tamil Nadu border leaving one to wonder if she and her family still enjoy so much popularity among party cadres, or was it just a show of strength made possible by nephew TTV Dhinakaran.

As Sasikala and her convoy went out of sight, a teary-eyed party worker told me: "Even lord Rama had to stay in exile for 14 years before returning to Ayodhya and winning the throne".